Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Topic Author
lazylarry
Posts: 515
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2015 10:35 pm
Contact:

Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by lazylarry »

So I have a couple of 10+ year old credit cards (one with rotating 5% and another with 1%), along with a 5 year CC (3% at grocery stores) and a 1 year CC (2% flat). I was debating getting the new Uber credit card with 4% cash back at restaurants/bars, 3% at hotels. I imagine I spend maybe $2500-$4000 on food , so it would probably be about $50-100 per year extra.

Wondering though, would it impact my credit score negatively (in the long term)? I pay off my balances as soon as they are due, usually using about $1000 of credit on the newest credit card. I'm not even sure of my total credit line but believe it's around 50k. My FICO score is low 800s. I'm not making any major purchases or loans anytime soon.
My profile: https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=86026 | Virtua lBogleheads® Blog: https://virtualbogleheads.wordpress.com/
Loik098
Posts: 687
Joined: Mon May 30, 2016 9:29 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by Loik098 »

It's the best card currently available for those who dine out a lot and simply want cash back. The only card I'm aware of that beats it in that category is the Chase Sapphire Reserve, as the points earned from it can be worth more than 4% when redeemed for travel.

If you demonstrate good spending habits, you should not worry about what your credit score is until such time as you need it (e.g., applying for a loan, mortgage, credit card, etc). Applying for a credit card results in a hard pull, which has a very minimal negative impact on your score, but doing so also raises your available credit and lowers your utilization (given nothing else changes in your financial life), both typically resulting in a bump in your score. Thus, many credit card churners note that over time, their score can actually rise despite applying for multiple cards each year.

You needn't worry about this application. In fact, I'd argue that a good credit score is going to waste if one doesn't use it to apply for credit which can reward them.....as long as it's used responsibly.
MotoTrojan
Posts: 11259
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 7:39 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by MotoTrojan »

Thanks for the heads up! I think I might nab this as I use a Citi 2% back card for all purchases, but eat out and order online often. $100 bonus also is nice.

Now to debate if I should be cancelling some of my other 3 cards I never use...

I pay in full monthly.
inbox788
Posts: 8372
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 5:24 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by inbox788 »

MotoTrojan wrote: Tue Mar 13, 2018 11:41 pm Thanks for the heads up! I think I might nab this as I use a Citi 2% back card for all purchases, but eat out and order online often. $100 bonus also is nice.

Now to debate if I should be cancelling some of my other 3 cards I never use...

I pay in full monthly.
I cancelled a couple of cards a couple of months ago, including my oldest one. So far no significant change in credit report as far as I can tell. I'm only looking at what Citibank tells me (experian?) and one of the Transunion based online credit sites. It might be because the remaining cards are sufficient or the cancelled cards are still impacting the score. Does anyone know if closed account history continues to help? I'm guessing some loans like mortgage that get paid off should continue to help even after it's completed, but who knows?
MotoTrojan
Posts: 11259
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 7:39 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by MotoTrojan »

inbox788 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:15 am
MotoTrojan wrote: Tue Mar 13, 2018 11:41 pm Thanks for the heads up! I think I might nab this as I use a Citi 2% back card for all purchases, but eat out and order online often. $100 bonus also is nice.

Now to debate if I should be cancelling some of my other 3 cards I never use...

I pay in full monthly.
I cancelled a couple of cards a couple of months ago, including my oldest one. So far no significant change in credit report as far as I can tell. I'm only looking at what Citibank tells me (experian?) and one of the Transunion based online credit sites. It might be because the remaining cards are sufficient or the cancelled cards are still impacting the score. Does anyone know if closed account history continues to help? I'm guessing some loans like mortgage that get paid off should continue to help even after it's completed, but who knows?
Approved for $16K on the Uber card woohoo. I’d wager it depends on your total credit and what you utilize. All of my cards have increased to $16K or so so I’ve got quite a bit and generally only have $2-4K balance.
takeshi
Posts: 1175
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 10:02 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by takeshi »

lazylarry wrote: Tue Mar 13, 2018 9:32 pmWondering though, would it impact my credit score negatively (in the long term)? I pay off my balances as soon as they are due, usually using about $1000 of credit on the newest credit card. I'm not even sure of my total credit line but believe it's around 50k. My FICO score is low 800s. I'm not making any major purchases or loans anytime soon.
Probably not based on the info you've provided. If you're not applying for new credit after this any time soon then there's not much point in worrying so much over your score.

Keep in mind that you don't have just one FICO. There are many FICO models used by creditors for credit decisions. For most models you have a score with each of the 3 major CRA's. Make sure you're keeping tabs on all 3 CRA's and not just 1 of them.
MotoTrojan wrote: Tue Mar 13, 2018 11:41 pmNow to debate if I should be cancelling some of my other 3 cards I never use...
inbox788 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:15 am Does anyone know if closed account history continues to help?
Your call to make. Immediate scoring impact is due to whatever change there is in revolving utilization. You can do the math to determine what that change would be to help you decide but if you're using 1/50K then that's only 0.2% and you have a long way to go before you see signficant adverse impact from increased revolving utilization.

Closed accounts typically continue to show up on reports for 10 years after closure and continue to factor into Average Age of Accounts as long as they are on reports. If you cannot or will not actively monitor cards that you are not using then you should consider closing them.
inbox788 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:15 am I cancelled a couple of cards a couple of months ago, including my oldest one. So far no significant change in credit report as far as I can tell.
It's not just the change that matters but one's credit profile as well. You might have not seen a significant impact. However, a person with a thinner and/or younger profile and/or with issues could certainly see a bigger impact from the same sort of change. Closure could also differently impact revolving utilization for different people depending on the specifics.
inbox788 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:15 am I'm guessing some loans like mortgage that get paid off should continue to help even after it's completed, but who knows?
This and all the other items brought up so far in this thread are all well covered on credit sites. If one pays off an installment like a mortgage (auto, student and other loans are installments however lines of credit are revolvers, IIRC) and that installment is the only active installment then one loses the scoring benefit of having at least one active installment. However, it's certainly possible and many have excellent credit with no active installments. In other words, there's not a massive gain from keeping an installment active solely for scoring purposes (though some do this anyway).
inbox788
Posts: 8372
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 5:24 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by inbox788 »

takeshi wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 1:55 pmThis and all the other items brought up so far in this thread are all well covered on credit sites. If one pays off an installment like a mortgage (auto, student and other loans are installments however lines of credit are revolvers, IIRC) and that installment is the only active installment then one loses the scoring benefit of having at least one active installment. However, it's certainly possible and many have excellent credit with no active installments. In other words, it makes no sense to keep an installment active solely for scoring purposes.
I had no installments, and when I got a car loan, my credit went down a bit (about 10 points), but gradually recovered in about 6 months (up 1-3 points a month), and now fluctuates about 1-3 points up and down. Mostly noise AFAIK. And so far after cancelling 2 cards, it's still up/down a little. The text is more alarming, but when you look at the number, it's meaningless. YMMV

I just took a look now and it's up 2 points since last month. More noise. My oldest account was nearly 20 years and average around 7. It still hasn't updated. Without that old account, my average might be less than 5 years, and I'll have to see if this warning means anything:
Age of Credit History (15% impact on your score)
Age of credit history refers to the length of time your accounts have been open. By keeping your average account age over 5 years, you are showing creditors and lenders what they like to see.
Anyway, if it's only 15% and going below 5 year average account age has a 10% effect, it's only a net 1.5% change, so maybe down about 10 points or so.
Jack FFR1846
Posts: 18502
Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2013 6:05 am
Location: 26 miles, 385 yards west of Copley Square

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

I got the Uber just to churn for the bonus but it's become my restaurant (even though I hate the company Uber) for the 4%. I never close credit card accounts anymore. Some are up for tradelines and at this point, I'm getting $8 a month of free gas with low balance forgiveness.
Bogle: Smart Beta is stupid
User avatar
rocket354
Posts: 679
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2015 11:31 am

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by rocket354 »

The Uber card is now my most-used card.

4% restaurants. 3% travel (airlines, hotels, rideshares, etc). 2% online purchases. 0% foreign transaction fee. I recently went on a two-week trip overseas and that was a great combination of benefits on just one card.

I'll stop before I sound too much like an Uber shill--I'm just a very satisfied customer--but suffice to say I do think it's worth it.

The cash back does have a $25 minimum, just fyi.
fast_and_curious
Posts: 111
Joined: Fri May 16, 2014 12:07 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by fast_and_curious »

rocket354 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 2:43 pm The Uber card is now my most-used card.

4% restaurants. 3% travel (airlines, hotels, rideshares, etc). 2% online purchases. 0% foreign transaction fee. I recently went on a two-week trip overseas and that was a great combination of benefits on just one card.

I'll stop before I sound too much like an Uber shill--I'm just a very satisfied customer--but suffice to say I do think it's worth it.

The cash back does have a $25 minimum, just fyi.
We also recently got one of these cards. The reason for us was wanting a no-foreign-transaction-fee, no-annual-fee, chip-and-pin card for easier travel in Europe (at kiosks and other automated locations). This, being a Barclay card, was one of the few that seemed to meet that requirement, and had good rewards and benefits.

At least in theory. We haven't tried it in Europe yet, but it appears to be chip-and-PIN from what I can see.

Like another poster in this thread, I am not a big fan of Uber as a company - although I am/was hopeful that the new CEO may change their culture - for grins, I was thinking of using this card for Lyft, although I'm sure no one would notice anyway. But I like this card so far.
User avatar
rocket354
Posts: 679
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2015 11:31 am

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by rocket354 »

fast_and_curious wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:10 pm
We haven't tried it in Europe yet, but it appears to be chip-and-PIN from what I can see.
My trip was to Europe and everything worked as advertised. Paid in Euros, which got an acceptable exchange to dollars when it hit my account. 4X points credited and no additional fees.
User avatar
midareff
Posts: 7711
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 9:43 am
Location: Biscayne Bay, South Florida

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by midareff »

rocket354 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 2:43 pm The Uber card is now my most-used card.

4% restaurants. 3% travel (airlines, hotels, rideshares, etc). 2% online purchases. 0% foreign transaction fee. I recently went on a two-week trip overseas and that was a great combination of benefits on just one card.

I'll stop before I sound too much like an Uber shill--I'm just a very satisfied customer--but suffice to say I do think it's worth it.

The cash back does have a $25 minimum, just fyi.
I saw the ads, applied for the card and received it... then cancelled it after thorough reading the Terms and Conditions. Seemed like far too many hoops to jump through to redeem. Am I mistaken? I already carry 6% AMEX grocery, PenFed 5% gas and FIDO 2% everything and carrying one more card is not an issue.
User avatar
rocket354
Posts: 679
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2015 11:31 am

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by rocket354 »

midareff wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:43 pm
I saw the ads, applied for the card and received it... then cancelled it after thorough reading the Terms and Conditions. Seemed like far too many hoops to jump through to redeem. Am I mistaken? I already carry 6% AMEX grocery, PenFed 5% gas and FIDO 2% everything and carrying one more card is not an issue.
What hoops are you referring to? I never really read those terms and conditions.

Once I got to a $500 spend, I got 100 bonus dollars credited to my account. Every time I make a purchase, I get the points immediately once the purchase hits the account. 4X points at restaurants, 3X for travel, 2X for online purchases. Once I have 2500 points I can redeem directly to my bank account any amount that's $25+. And that was quick, too--I requested one day and the money was in my bank account the next day.

If there's something I should be concerned about in the T&C let me know please. But so far, from my perspective, it's been a great card.
ThePrince
Posts: 451
Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2017 9:15 pm
Location: U.S.A.

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by ThePrince »

rocket354 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 2:43 pm The Uber card is now my most-used card.

4% restaurants. 3% travel (airlines, hotels, rideshares, etc). 2% online purchases. 0% foreign transaction fee. I recently went on a two-week trip overseas and that was a great combination of benefits on just one card.

I'll stop before I sound too much like an Uber shill--I'm just a very satisfied customer--but suffice to say I do think it's worth it.

The cash back does have a $25 minimum, just fyi.
Ditto.
ThePrince
Posts: 451
Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2017 9:15 pm
Location: U.S.A.

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by ThePrince »

midareff wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:43 pm
rocket354 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 2:43 pm The Uber card is now my most-used card.

4% restaurants. 3% travel (airlines, hotels, rideshares, etc). 2% online purchases. 0% foreign transaction fee. I recently went on a two-week trip overseas and that was a great combination of benefits on just one card.

I'll stop before I sound too much like an Uber shill--I'm just a very satisfied customer--but suffice to say I do think it's worth it.

The cash back does have a $25 minimum, just fyi.
I saw the ads, applied for the card and received it... then cancelled it after thorough reading the Terms and Conditions. Seemed like far too many hoops to jump through to redeem. Am I mistaken? I already carry 6% AMEX grocery, PenFed 5% gas and FIDO 2% everything and carrying one more card is not an issue.
I’m not aware of any “hoops”. Please expound.
Loik098
Posts: 687
Joined: Mon May 30, 2016 9:29 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by Loik098 »

midareff wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:43 pm
rocket354 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 2:43 pm The Uber card is now my most-used card.

4% restaurants. 3% travel (airlines, hotels, rideshares, etc). 2% online purchases. 0% foreign transaction fee. I recently went on a two-week trip overseas and that was a great combination of benefits on just one card.

I'll stop before I sound too much like an Uber shill--I'm just a very satisfied customer--but suffice to say I do think it's worth it.

The cash back does have a $25 minimum, just fyi.
I saw the ads, applied for the card and received it... then cancelled it after thorough reading the Terms and Conditions. Seemed like far too many hoops to jump through to redeem. Am I mistaken? I already carry 6% AMEX grocery, PenFed 5% gas and FIDO 2% everything and carrying one more card is not an issue.
It was a bad idea to close it. At the very least, you should have gotten the $100 bonus out of it first before doing so. Now, you won't be eligible for that bonus if you change your mind and want to go back to the Uber card.

If those are the only other cards you carry, you don't have a solid option for dining or travel. I'd recommend spending more time researching/analyzing your credit options first before applying for them. Do your best to apply for cards when they are at an all-time high offer, as you may never get a chance to repeat. Doctor of Credit also publishes good information on credit cards.
inbox788
Posts: 8372
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 5:24 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by inbox788 »

Loik098 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 6:43 pm
midareff wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:43 pm
rocket354 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 2:43 pmThe Uber card is now my most-used card.

4% restaurants. 3% travel (airlines, hotels, rideshares, etc). 2% online purchases. 0% foreign transaction fee.
I already carry 6% AMEX grocery, PenFed 5% gas and FIDO 2% everything and carrying one more card is not an issue.
If those are the only other cards you carry, you don't have a solid option for dining or travel. I'd recommend spending more time researching/analyzing your credit options first before applying for them. Do your best to apply for cards when they are at an all-time high offer, as you may never get a chance to repeat. Doctor of Credit also publishes good information on credit cards.
You can try to optimize your spending, but that takes work and there is diminishing returns for additional cards. FIDO 2% or other sets a baseline. I use the Citi Costco card which is 3% restaurants, 3% travel, 4% gas (I think you have to be a Costco member, though). It's not worth it for me to get the extra 1% on my restaurant and gas spending and having to deal with 2 cards. I've already encountered a number of establishments that I thought would fall under the restaurant category that weren't, basically places that sell food and other stuff, like bakeries, coffee shops and mixed market/sit down restaurant areas, and those got only 1%. Anyway, on $1000/year gas spending, it's only $10, and similar scale for restaurant spending. I'm able to average around 2.5%+ back on the Costco card, mainly from travel (airfare/hotels). Overall average is around 2.5%. With 4% delta on a grocery card, I might eek out about $100/year, but that requires me to use the correct card for each situation, and I've already made mistake with 2. And if I get it wrong, I might only get 1%. Anyway, sometimes good enough is good enough. And I'd need a bigger wallet, instead of the smaller minimalist wallet I've been shopping for.
Topic Author
lazylarry
Posts: 515
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2015 10:35 pm
Contact:

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by lazylarry »

I think it just depends how much effort you want to put into it. For someone like me (and I'm sure other Bogleheads) who spends <$10000 a year on purchases, these cards are not going to wildly impact anything - maybe $500 back at most. I don't mind it though and there is no disadvantage. I use the freedom rotator (5%), amex (3% grocery), fidelity (2% all), like other posters, with no fees. If I remember, great. If not, oh well. I don't let it affect my spending, but if I have to buy restaurant food, drinks, etc...I might as well get a little cash back at the same time. Ended up signing up for the card, thanks all!
My profile: https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=86026 | Virtua lBogleheads® Blog: https://virtualbogleheads.wordpress.com/
Loik098
Posts: 687
Joined: Mon May 30, 2016 9:29 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by Loik098 »

inbox788 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 7:40 pm
Loik098 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 6:43 pm
midareff wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:43 pm
rocket354 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 2:43 pmThe Uber card is now my most-used card.

4% restaurants. 3% travel (airlines, hotels, rideshares, etc). 2% online purchases. 0% foreign transaction fee.
I already carry 6% AMEX grocery, PenFed 5% gas and FIDO 2% everything and carrying one more card is not an issue.
If those are the only other cards you carry, you don't have a solid option for dining or travel. I'd recommend spending more time researching/analyzing your credit options first before applying for them. Do your best to apply for cards when they are at an all-time high offer, as you may never get a chance to repeat. Doctor of Credit also publishes good information on credit cards.
You can try to optimize your spending, but that takes work and there is diminishing returns for additional cards.
The poster I was responding to isn't getting better than 2% anyime he/she eats out or travels. You're doing better than that, so of course applying for an Uber may not be worth it to you. But it might be to them, or to others who hold a similar card profile and who eat out or travel a ton.

To address your broader point: I'm not applying for cards just because of these smaller perks; they come as a by-product. I'm in the game primarily for the signup bonuses. Having to never pay for a family vacation isn't a diminishing return for me. Of course, if I have ~25 cards (and I do), I'll probably end up optimizing my spending on them, too. To each their own.
FedGuy
Posts: 1677
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2010 3:36 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by FedGuy »

I applied for this card and was rejected due to an error on my credit report. I've now gotten the credit reporting agency to correct the error and am wondering if I can convince Barclays to give me another look without making me apply all over again.

Having said that, I really hated the way Barclays treated me during the process and am wondering if it even makes sense to pursue having a business relationship with them at this point.
User avatar
midareff
Posts: 7711
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 9:43 am
Location: Biscayne Bay, South Florida

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by midareff »

Loik098 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 6:43 pm
midareff wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:43 pm
rocket354 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 2:43 pm The Uber card is now my most-used card.

4% restaurants. 3% travel (airlines, hotels, rideshares, etc). 2% online purchases. 0% foreign transaction fee. I recently went on a two-week trip overseas and that was a great combination of benefits on just one card.

I'll stop before I sound too much like an Uber shill--I'm just a very satisfied customer--but suffice to say I do think it's worth it.

The cash back does have a $25 minimum, just fyi.
I saw the ads, applied for the card and received it... then cancelled it after thorough reading the Terms and Conditions. Seemed like far too many hoops to jump through to redeem. Am I mistaken? I already carry 6% AMEX grocery, PenFed 5% gas and FIDO 2% everything and carrying one more card is not an issue.
It was a bad idea to close it. At the very least, you should have gotten the $100 bonus out of it first before doing so. Now, you won't be eligible for that bonus if you change your mind and want to go back to the Uber card.

If those are the only other cards you carry, you don't have a solid option for dining or travel. I'd recommend spending more time researching/analyzing your credit options first before applying for them. Do your best to apply for cards when they are at an all-time high offer, as you may never get a chance to repeat. Doctor of Credit also publishes good information on credit cards.
Well, it may have been a bad idea but another is approved and on the way. Most of our travel is on Viking this year and next and eCheck gets 3.3% off, so no credit card there as our TA buys enough on-board credits to cover most everything. If we spend $150 a week dining out, and it's probably less, I have probably missed $150 a year at the extra 2%, and I'm not sure it's worth carrying a card for $150 a year, and that would be less for 9 months since Discover is 5% resturant for 3 months annually. We already do > $2200 annually in cc rebates.
JBTX
Posts: 11227
Joined: Wed Jul 26, 2017 12:46 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by JBTX »

inbox788 wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 2:15 pm
takeshi wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 1:55 pmThis and all the other items brought up so far in this thread are all well covered on credit sites. If one pays off an installment like a mortgage (auto, student and other loans are installments however lines of credit are revolvers, IIRC) and that installment is the only active installment then one loses the scoring benefit of having at least one active installment. However, it's certainly possible and many have excellent credit with no active installments. In other words, it makes no sense to keep an installment active solely for scoring purposes.
I had no installments, and when I got a car loan, my credit went down a bit (about 10 points), but gradually recovered in about 6 months (up 1-3 points a month), and now fluctuates about 1-3 points up and down. Mostly noise AFAIK. And so far after cancelling 2 cards, it's still up/down a little. The text is more alarming, but when you look at the number, it's meaningless. YMMV

I just took a look now and it's up 2 points since last month. More noise. My oldest account was nearly 20 years and average around 7. It still hasn't updated. Without that old account, my average might be less than 5 years, and I'll have to see if this warning means anything:
Age of Credit History (15% impact on your score)
Age of credit history refers to the length of time your accounts have been open. By keeping your average account age over 5 years, you are showing creditors and lenders what they like to see.
Anyway, if it's only 15% and going below 5 year average account age has a 10% effect, it's only a net 1.5% change, so maybe down about 10 points or so.
I’d never close a 20 year old card unless there were an annual fee. The change in FICO will likely be marginal for you but still why close something that helps your score? Also credit is evaluated by different creditors in other ways outside of your typical credit scores. An example could be an auto insurance company. They may weigh criteria differently than the credit scoring methodology does.

Going forward I doubt I’ll close any card unless there is an annual fee and I otherwise don’t need it.
algorithm
Posts: 45
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2016 2:53 am

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by algorithm »

lazylarry wrote: Tue Mar 13, 2018 9:32 pm So I have a couple of 10+ year old credit cards (one with rotating 5% and another with 1%), along with a 5 year CC (3% at grocery stores) and a 1 year CC (2% flat). I was debating getting the new Uber credit card with 4% cash back at restaurants/bars, 3% at hotels. I imagine I spend maybe $2500-$4000 on food , so it would probably be about $50-100 per year extra.

Wondering though, would it impact my credit score negatively (in the long term)? I pay off my balances as soon as they are due, usually using about $1000 of credit on the newest credit card. I'm not even sure of my total credit line but believe it's around 50k. My FICO score is low 800s. I'm not making any major purchases or loans anytime soon.
UBER card offers the best cash back at restaurants and bars. It is also great if you travel overseas because it has the PIN feature. Trust me, you will need the PIN feature if you go to Europe and you try to buy train tickets at those kiosks machines. Also UBER card does not charge foreign transaction fees.

You might also need to consider Costco card for your airfare, hotels, or tours purchases for 3 good reasons. 1) it offers free cancellation and interruption insurance up to $3000 per trip. 2) It gives 3% cash back on all travel purchases. 3) It has no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee.

I don't think it will impact your credit if you do decide to get UBER card.

There are many other benefits for Uber card and Costco visa discussed in this article.
https://www.hotpersonalfinance.com/maxi ... dit-cards/
amitb00
Posts: 530
Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2012 8:04 am

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by amitb00 »

Can someone confirm if Cruise Ship tickets from cruise lines and car rentals qualify as Travel and fetch you 3% cash back for Uber card?
Thanks
Amit
ThePrince
Posts: 451
Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2017 9:15 pm
Location: U.S.A.

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by ThePrince »

The Uber card continues to please.
User avatar
TinkerPDX
Posts: 284
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2014 4:38 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by TinkerPDX »

FedGuy wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 9:43 pm I applied for this card and was rejected due to an error on my credit report. I've now gotten the credit reporting agency to correct the error and am wondering if I can convince Barclays to give me another look without making me apply all over again.

Having said that, I really hated the way Barclays treated me during the process and am wondering if it even makes sense to pursue having a business relationship with them at this point.
In the middle of a similarly frustrating experience. They are asking for a copy of my social security card and driver license, and also an original utility bill. Of course, all bills are paperless and I have no idea where the SS card is. Ordered a new one but may not get it in time for the 30-day window, and there is apparently no way to get though to barclays by phone to ask if a passport and fifteen other pieces of ID/address proof would suffice without an existing card number...

As for the original question, to me, an extra 1.5% (we snagged USAA 2.5% when it briefly existed) on dining is absolutely worth the extra administrative burden, which to me is just setting up an autopay one tome and making sure there’s always enough in checking to cover a bill I forgot about.

Add that (maybe $1-300/year) up over a lifetime and it may mean reaching FI a few days or even months earlier.

(Yes, of course, dining out less would also help get there sooner...but even then, I spend a significant reimbursable amount at restaurants/bars, probably enough in its own to make it worth it to me.)
FedGuy
Posts: 1677
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2010 3:36 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by FedGuy »

TinkerPDX wrote: Sun May 20, 2018 10:33 am
FedGuy wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 9:43 pm I applied for this card and was rejected due to an error on my credit report. I've now gotten the credit reporting agency to correct the error and am wondering if I can convince Barclays to give me another look without making me apply all over again.
In the middle of a similarly frustrating experience. They are asking for a copy of my social security card and driver license, and also an original utility bill. Of course, all bills are paperless and I have no idea where the SS card is. Ordered a new one but may not get it in time for the 30-day window, and there is apparently no way to get though to barclays by phone to ask if a passport and fifteen other pieces of ID/address proof would suffice without an existing card number...
Tinker, I decided to try again with Barclay's. I eat out quite a bit and the thought of more or less doubling my cash back at restaurants trumped my annoyance with Barclay's. As with you, they had originally demanded my driver's license, Social Security card, and a utility bill, all of which I supplied, but in the end they decided that they couldn't get past the issue with my credit report. When I called them a week or so ago to ask if they could just check my revised credit report without making me re-apply, they told me that all records pertaining to rejected credit card applications are destroyed after 90 days, so I had to start over. The good news is that, with the error on my credit report now corrected and with Barclay's apparently not retaining (or at least consulting) a record of the lengthy back-and-forth we had last time and their ultimate decision to reject me, I was approved instantly without needing to provide those documents. I should get the card within the next few days.

There actually is a phone number you can call, but I got rid of it after receiving the approval. But if Barclay's follows the same procedures with you that they did with me, they'll send you a letter after Every. Single. Call. that you have with them. I think there's a phone number on there.

Good luck!
TravelGeek
Posts: 4902
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 3:23 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by TravelGeek »

TinkerPDX wrote: Sun May 20, 2018 10:33 am

In the middle of a similarly frustrating experience. They are asking for a copy of my social security card and driver license, and also an original utility bill. Of course, all bills are paperless and I have no idea where the SS card is. Ordered a new one but may not get it in time for the 30-day window, ...
I recently ordered a new SS card and got it within 7-10 days.
bob60014
Posts: 3768
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2017 8:59 pm
Location: The Land Beyond ORD

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by bob60014 »

amitb00 wrote: Sun May 20, 2018 8:36 am Can someone confirm if Cruise Ship tickets from cruise lines and car rentals qualify as Travel and fetch you 3% cash back for Uber card?
Thanks
Amit
Yes, as long as the cruise line and car rental agency code it as travel, almost all do.
https://www.barclaycardus.com/apply/act ... ForwardUrl
mptfan
Posts: 7218
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:58 am

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by mptfan »

fast_and_curious wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:10 pm We also recently got one of these cards. The reason for us was wanting a no-foreign-transaction-fee, no-annual-fee, chip-and-pin card for easier travel in Europe (at kiosks and other automated locations).
In my experience, a regular chip-and-signature works fine in Europe at kiosks and other automated locations, all you do is enter 0-0-0-0 as your pin, or you can even skip over entering the pin and the transaction goes through with no issues. From what I understand, the machine knows that you have a chip and signature card so it does not require a pin for the transaction.
mptfan
Posts: 7218
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:58 am

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by mptfan »

algorithm wrote: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:02 pmTrust me, you will need the PIN feature if you go to Europe and you try to buy train tickets at those kiosks machines.
That has not been my experience.
bob60014
Posts: 3768
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2017 8:59 pm
Location: The Land Beyond ORD

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by bob60014 »

mptfan wrote: Sat May 26, 2018 2:40 pm
algorithm wrote: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:02 pmTrust me, you will need the PIN feature if you go to Europe and you try to buy train tickets at those kiosks machines.
That has not been my experience.
Not mine either, but as always, YMMV!
patrick
Posts: 2594
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2009 3:39 am
Location: Mega-City One

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by patrick »

Seems rather strange to call it the Uber card when it is best used for restaurants...
bob60014
Posts: 3768
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2017 8:59 pm
Location: The Land Beyond ORD

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by bob60014 »

Makes perfect sense for the Millenials that don't own cars and Uber everywhere, including bars and restaurants, especially in the larger cities. The card is targeted to them as its no fee, nice little sign up bonus and such.
Jags4186
Posts: 8198
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2014 7:12 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by Jags4186 »

I don’t open a card unless I’m going to get at least $300 value within 1 year with minimal work. That number used to be higher but I’ve already gone through all the great offers. After a $100 bonus and assuming the alternative is a 2% credit card (I get minimum 4.5% via CSR) one would need to spend $10,000 on restauarants in a year to get at least $300 in incremental value in year one. Simply not worth it.
ThePrince
Posts: 451
Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2017 9:15 pm
Location: U.S.A.

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by ThePrince »

Jags4186 wrote: Sat May 26, 2018 9:00 pm I don’t open a card unless I’m going to get at least $300 value within 1 year with minimal work. That number used to be higher but I’ve already gone through all the great offers. After a $100 bonus and assuming the alternative is a 2% credit card (I get minimum 4.5% via CSR) one would need to spend $10,000 on restauarants in a year to get at least $300 in incremental value in year one. Simply not worth it.
You may get 4.5% return on the CSR; however, you have to pay an annual fee of $450, plus another $75 for each authorized user, vs. $0 annual fee for a 4% restaurant return via the Uber Card.
TravelGeek
Posts: 4902
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 3:23 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by TravelGeek »

ThePrince wrote: Sat May 26, 2018 10:08 pm You may get 4.5% return on the CSR; however, you have to pay an annual fee of $450, plus another $75 for each authorized user, vs. $0 annual fee for a 4% restaurant return via the Uber Card.
It is really $150 per year unless you don’t have $300 in travel-related charges per year you can put on the card for reimbursement (in which case you should not get this card).

Travel is my overall greatest budget item. The points I earn plus the benefits (insurance, lounge access) make it worth for me paying the fee.

Doesn’t mean that the card is the right one for everyone. Any card, really.
Jags4186
Posts: 8198
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2014 7:12 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by Jags4186 »

ThePrince wrote: Sat May 26, 2018 10:08 pm
Jags4186 wrote: Sat May 26, 2018 9:00 pm I don’t open a card unless I’m going to get at least $300 value within 1 year with minimal work. That number used to be higher but I’ve already gone through all the great offers. After a $100 bonus and assuming the alternative is a 2% credit card (I get minimum 4.5% via CSR) one would need to spend $10,000 on restauarants in a year to get at least $300 in incremental value in year one. Simply not worth it.
You may get 4.5% return on the CSR; however, you have to pay an annual fee of $450, plus another $75 for each authorized user, vs. $0 annual fee for a 4% restaurant return via the Uber Card.
If you have nothing the Uber card isn't awful. But let's look at some popular cards that have been around for a while and many likely have:

Citi Double Cash/Fidelity Visa: 2% everywhere
Costco Visa: 3% Restaurants, Hotels, Airfare, 4% Gas
Chase Freedom/Discover IT/Citi Dividend: 5% cashback at restaurants for usually 6 months of the year

If you have any combination of the above, the Uber card is somewhat worthless. It's just too little of an incremental reward for it to be in your wallet. Look at it another way, you could open up a Capital One Venture with a $500 bonus and derive $400 in incremental value from the sign up bonus alone. To get $400 in incremental value with the Uber card you'd need to spend $20,000 at restaurants vs a 2% card and $40,000 on restaurants on a 3% restaurant card in order for signing up for the Uber card to be worth it.
Last edited by Jags4186 on Sun May 27, 2018 6:27 am, edited 2 times in total.
student
Posts: 10764
Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2015 6:58 am

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by student »

TravelGeek wrote: Sat May 26, 2018 10:21 pm
ThePrince wrote: Sat May 26, 2018 10:08 pm You may get 4.5% return on the CSR; however, you have to pay an annual fee of $450, plus another $75 for each authorized user, vs. $0 annual fee for a 4% restaurant return via the Uber Card.
It is really $150 per year unless you don’t have $300 in travel-related charges per year you can put on the card for reimbursement (in which case you should not get this card).

Travel is my overall greatest budget item. The points I earn plus the benefits (insurance, lounge access) make it worth for me paying the fee.

Doesn’t mean that the card is the right one for everyone. Any card, really.
I agree.

When Uber card first came out and I was tempted to get it. But then I decided against it as like you, I already have the CSR card. Also, Discover and Chase usually has a quarter with 5% restaurant category so I decided not to get the Uber credit card.
algorithm
Posts: 45
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2016 2:53 am

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by algorithm »

mptfan wrote: Sat May 26, 2018 2:40 pm
algorithm wrote: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:02 pmTrust me, you will need the PIN feature if you go to Europe and you try to buy train tickets at those kiosks machines.
That has not been my experience.
If the card has the PIN feature, it is guaranteed that any machine that takes credit card will accept it. You just have a good luck that you have not interacted yet with those machines that reject chip-and signature cards.
Starper
Posts: 131
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2014 10:02 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by Starper »

For the uber card, how accurately does it categorize foreign restaurants and hotels to be eligible for bonus? Especially smaller ones. Also if you use a website like hotels.com to book a hotel, do you still get a bonus?
bob60014
Posts: 3768
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2017 8:59 pm
Location: The Land Beyond ORD

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by bob60014 »

Starper wrote: Fri Jun 01, 2018 2:41 pm For the uber card, how accurately does it categorize foreign restaurants and hotels to be eligible for bonus? Especially smaller ones. Also if you use a website like hotels.com to book a hotel, do you still get a bonus?
It's how the merchant codes the transaction, if the wrong code you miss out. The last line here is important.

% Back and Earning Points

Under the Program, you earn a percentage of your purchase amount ("% Back"), which will be awarded as points ("Points"). One (1) Point has a value of One (1) Cent ($0.01), i.e. each Dollar ($1.00) in % Back earned is equal to 100 Points. You may sometimes see us refer to Points, in other materials we may refer to % Back, and in some cases we may also refer to % Back/Points when referring to the rewards that you earn. When you log in to your Account at BarclaycardUS.com, you will see the Points that you have earned, along with their cash value. You earn Points for purchases less credits, returns and adjustments ("Net Purchases") made by you and/or any authorized user of the Account. Points are earned on Net Purchases as follows:

• You earn 4% Back/4 Points ($0.04) for every $1.00 spent on Net Purchases made through UberEATS and at restaurants, as defined by merchant category codes, which includes restaurants, fast food restaurants and bars ("Restaurant Purchases").
• You earn 3% Back/3 Points ($0.03) for every $1.00 spent on Net Purchases on airfare, hotels and vacation rentals (including travel agencies and home share exchanges), as defined by merchant category codes ("Travel Purchases").
• You earn 2% Back/2 Points ($0.02) for every $1.00 spent on Net Purchases made directly from Uber ("Uber Purchases"), other than UberEATS.
• You earn 2% Back/2 Points ($0.02) for every $1.00 spent on eligible online Net Purchases (as described below), which includes purchases that occur online or on a mobile device as identified based on transaction details provided by merchants ("Online Purchases"):

o Online Purchases that are also Restaurant Purchases will earn 4% Back/4 Points and Online Purchases that are also Travel Purchases will earn 3% Back/3 Points, as detailed above and will not also earn 2% Back/2 Points as Online Purchases.
o Online Purchases from the merchant category codes that include the following, are excluded from the 2% Back/2 Points category and will earn 1% Back/1 Point ($0.01) for every $1.00 spent on Net Purchases:

- Utilities (such as cable, satellite, telecommunications, gas, water, and electric),
- Contracted Services (such as landscaping, general contractors, plumbing, heating/air conditioning, roofing, siding, carpentry, electrical, masonry, and concrete, and certain special trade contractors),
- Government Services (such as court costs, alimony, child support, fines, bail and bond payments, and tax payments), or
- Professional Services (such as doctors, therapists, dentists, opticians, nursing care facilities, hospitals, attorneys, child care services, accounting, and architectural services).

o Online Purchases not from the above excluded merchant categories and Online Purchases as described below are included and will earn 2% Back/2 Points ($0.02) for every $1.00 spent on Net Purchases:

- Video and music streaming services (including Netflix, Pandora, HBO Now, and Apple Music),
- Certain online services (including Instacart, Shyp, Angie’s List, Handy, Thumbtack, FlyCleaners and TaskRabbit), and
- Digital purchases of mobile applications and media on platforms (including iTunes and Google Play).

• You earn 1% Back/1 Point ($0.01) for every $1.00 spent on Net Purchases everywhere else.

Purchases must be submitted by merchants using the applicable merchant category codes to qualify for the additional Points. Barclaycard and Uber are not responsible for incorrectly coded purchases.
stagolee
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2016 8:42 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by stagolee »

For correspondence related to your application, you can call Barclays at:

866-205-5973

I'm in the middle of some back and forth with them about the fraud alert on my credit report... They're supposed to call my # to verify the application, but they always claim no phone # is associated with the alert... no matter how many times the bureaus tell me it has been added. I'm now having it removed and switching to a credit freeze after the application process is complete.
Cruz
Posts: 273
Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2014 7:16 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by Cruz »

TravelGeek wrote: Sat May 26, 2018 10:21 pm
ThePrince wrote: Sat May 26, 2018 10:08 pm You may get 4.5% return on the CSR; however, you have to pay an annual fee of $450, plus another $75 for each authorized user, vs. $0 annual fee for a 4% restaurant return via the Uber Card.
It is really $150 per year unless you don’t have $300 in travel-related charges per year you can put on the card for reimbursement (in which case you should not get this card).

Travel is my overall greatest budget item. The points I earn plus the benefits (insurance, lounge access) make it worth for me paying the fee.

Doesn’t mean that the card is the right one for everyone. Any card, really.
Are travel rewards as good as or equal to straight cash back for someone who travels infrequently (1-2 times a year)? The Chase "trifecta" of cards (CSR, Freedom, Freedom Unlimited) sounds intriguing in terms of rewards but for someone who travels infrequently (but would like to travel more) would the Uber visa and the Citi double cash and/or AMEX blue cash offer a similar or better value since their purchases aren't as travel heavy?
Jags4186
Posts: 8198
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2014 7:12 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by Jags4186 »

Cruz wrote: Fri Sep 14, 2018 8:09 am
TravelGeek wrote: Sat May 26, 2018 10:21 pm
ThePrince wrote: Sat May 26, 2018 10:08 pm You may get 4.5% return on the CSR; however, you have to pay an annual fee of $450, plus another $75 for each authorized user, vs. $0 annual fee for a 4% restaurant return via the Uber Card.
It is really $150 per year unless you don’t have $300 in travel-related charges per year you can put on the card for reimbursement (in which case you should not get this card).

Travel is my overall greatest budget item. The points I earn plus the benefits (insurance, lounge access) make it worth for me paying the fee.

Doesn’t mean that the card is the right one for everyone. Any card, really.
Are travel rewards as good as or equal to straight cash back for someone who travels infrequently (1-2 times a year)? The Chase "trifecta" of cards (CSR, Freedom, Freedom Unlimited) sounds intriguing in terms of rewards but for someone who travels infrequently (but would like to travel more) would the Uber visa and the Citi double cash and/or AMEX blue cash offer a similar or better value since their purchases aren't as travel heavy?
Travel rewards can be vastly more valuable than cash, or they can be worse. It’s all up to how you use them and how you value them.

For example a few years ago I transferred 125,000 Chase UR points to Hyatt and booked 5 nights at a hotel that would have cost $1200/night over New Years. That’s a value of $0.048/point. And since I was earning 1.5-5 points per dollar spent that means I was earning 7.2% - 24% cashback on my spend. But that’s only if I were going to spend $1200/night anyway, which I wasn’t. We wouldn’t have taken the trip if we were paying cash. So you see how it can be tricky on how to value the rewards? And at the end of the day the trip really cost me $1,250 because I could have cashed out the 125k points for that amount. And that doesn’t include all of the money I then spent on said vacation...
jrbdmb
Posts: 776
Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2015 4:27 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by jrbdmb »

FedGuy wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 9:43 pm I applied for this card and was rejected due to an error on my credit report. I've now gotten the credit reporting agency to correct the error and am wondering if I can convince Barclays to give me another look without making me apply all over again.

Having said that, I really hated the way Barclays treated me during the process and am wondering if it even makes sense to pursue having a business relationship with them at this point.
A have an Uber card and am very happy with it. However my biggest complaint was their application process - had to send in a copy of driver's license and SS card to prove my identity, surprising since I've gone literally decades without having to provide this info. And their FAX machine never worked - I had to send these documents in via USPS, which made me rather nervous.

Edit - almost forgot, they claimed they never received the first set of documentation so I had to send everything in by USPS a second time. I was *this* close to canceling the app altogether.
jrbdmb
Posts: 776
Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2015 4:27 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by jrbdmb »

FYI, for everyone who wants a restaurant card and is more interested in churning (high signup bonus) rather than long-term use, Cap One has revised their Savor card to offer a $500 sign up bonus. Also now offers 4% on dining. Free for first year, $95 a year after that.

https://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards ... g-rewards/

Note that I have the grandfathered version of this card - $100 bonus if i recall, 4% on dining, no annual fee.
User avatar
midareff
Posts: 7711
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 9:43 am
Location: Biscayne Bay, South Florida

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by midareff »

lazylarry wrote: Tue Mar 13, 2018 9:32 pm So I have a couple of 10+ year old credit cards (one with rotating 5% and another with 1%), along with a 5 year CC (3% at grocery stores) and a 1 year CC (2% flat). I was debating getting the new Uber credit card with 4% cash back at restaurants/bars, 3% at hotels. I imagine I spend maybe $2500-$4000 on food , so it would probably be about $50-100 per year extra.

Wondering though, would it impact my credit score negatively (in the long term)? I pay off my balances as soon as they are due, usually using about $1000 of credit on the newest credit card. I'm not even sure of my total credit line but believe it's around 50k. My FICO score is low 800s. I'm not making any major purchases or loans anytime soon.
FWIW, all of our cards are set to pay balance in full on payment due date. If I can't pay for it that way I don't buy it, although I have taken advantage of no interest offers from time to time just to leave more money in the VG IT Tax-Ex fund or Ally Savings. We use the credit card companies for cash back although we do use airline cards for free bag checks and priority boarding. We use the Uber card for restaurants and hotels, the AMEX Blue Preferred for 6% on groceries, PenFed's 5% gas card and Fidelity's 2% on everything Visa. Also have the Discover for rotating categories and Citi 1% + 1% although the last two haven't been used in awhile. It's a game and I play it and keep score. ... $2569.90 cash back this year as of 9/14. You can fill the bucket up one drop at a time.
essbeer
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat May 09, 2015 6:23 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by essbeer »

For some reason people tend to forget that the Uber card has an extra $50 credit after spending $5000. So on the first $5000 you actually get 5% back on restaurants and 4% back on hotels and airfare, provided you can spend that amount.
Bot403
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2018 5:48 pm

Re: Credit card question - get Uber's new 4%er?

Post by Bot403 »

For the uber card, how accurately does it categorize foreign restaurants and hotels to be eligible for bonus? Especially smaller ones. Also if you use a website like hotels.com to book a hotel, do you still get a bonus?
So - I work for Discover - specifically their rewards system the last several years so I have a lot of experience with MCC codes for rewards :D

Using these category codes is standard across all cards and happens at the network level at the time the merchant is boarded to accept credit cards - not really the specific card issuer itself. So uber is just handed whatever the merchant's category is as defined by the credit card network. It's likely they just set up a list of MCCs that count as restaurants and anything with that code gets paid out rewards.

At the time of purchase a merchant isn't really keying in a category code - its set up when the merchant is setup on the network and is fairly standard.

So I would have no more concern for Uber's calssifications of restaurants than any of the other cashback promotions "at X, at Y" the other cards are offering. Sometimes there are surprises with codes and specific merchants but most of the time you get the rewards you deserve.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant_category_code

Example List of All MCCs:

https://github.com/greggles/mcc-codes/b ... _codes.csv
https://github.com/greggles/mcc-codes

You can lookup specific merchant's MCC code assigned for visa here. It's likely the same for all networks.

https://www.visa.com/supplierlocator-ap ... er-locator
Last edited by Bot403 on Fri Sep 14, 2018 10:37 am, edited 2 times in total.
Post Reply